WIDNES VIKINGS 30 BATLEY BULLDOGS 10
JAMES GORDON, DCBL Stadium, Sunday
WIDNES were made to work by Batley to secure successive league wins for the first time since February.
The Vikings took the lead against their former coach John Kear’s side on nine minutes when Australian backrower Ben Condon found himself on the right wing, and he showed the Batley defence a clean pair of heels down the touchline and then found Will Roberts in support on the inside.
Condon went from hero to villain a few minutes later when, as he chased a kick forward, he turned and caught Aidan McGowan high with his hip, forcing the Batley fullback off for a HIA and Condon to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
That completely changed the pattern of the game as Batley, who had barely been out of their own half for the first 15 minutes, started to gain control and were soon camped on the Widnes line.
Widnes defended stoutly with 12 men, hanging on for three consecutive sets on their try line, with Liam Cooper going closest, held up inches short on the last.
A Dane Manning break on the left deserved more but came to an end through lack of support, but eventually the Batley breakthrough came on 25 minutes, shortly after Condon had returned to the field, the Papua New Guinean Emmanuel Waine bursting on to a short pass 10 metres out and breaking through two Widnes tacklers to touch down.
It needed something out of the ordinary to turn the game back in Widnes’ favour and so it proved five minutes before half-time. The ball squirmed free of Ben White’s grasp in a tackle five metres from the Widnes line, and the loose ball was picked up by Joe Edge, who exchanged a one-two with Jon Bennison down the left, and raced 70 metres to score in the corner.
Batley continued to enjoy field position at the start of the second half, with both Lucas Walshaw and Alistair Leak held up inches short, but it was Widnes that grabbed the next score, keeping the ball alive in centre field and creating an overlap on the left for Bennison to put Dec Patton through on his inside.
A Widnes error gifted Batley more field position and they again failed to capitalise, an obstruction by Cooper denying a try by the side of the posts, before Jordan Johnstone held Leak up over the line and Matty Fozard desperately dived on a loose ball flung inside by McGowan, who had looked certain to score.
Max Roberts should have made the game safe on the hour mark when he missed a Patton kick that sat up perfectly for him with the line at his mercy, but eventually Widnes broke Batley’s resolve when the Roberts brothers linked up to put Morgan McWhirter over under the posts.
Batley did get a score of their own through a Jack Render interception, but the last word went to Widnes, Matt Fleming stretching over from close range for their first back-to-back Championship wins since round one and two.
GAMESTAR: Joe Edge was safe at the back for Widnes and made plenty of metres ball in hand.
GAMEBREAKER: Widnes’ goal-line defence holding firm at 18-6 after sustained pressure frustrated Batley and there was no way back.
MATCHFACTS
VIKINGS
4 Joe Edge
5 Mike Butt
1 Jack Owens
3 Matt Fleming
28 Jon Bennison
19 Dec Patton
27 Will Roberts
8 Dan Murray
9 Jordan Johnstone
15 Liam Bent
17 Max Roberts
23 Ben Condon
13 Morgan McWhirter
Subs (all used)
14 Matty Fozard
16 Adam Lawton
21 Gavin Bennion
30 Jack Bibby
Tries: W Roberts (9), Edge (35), Patton (50), McWhirter (68), Fleming (75)
Goals: W Roberts 5/5
Sin bin: Condon (13) – contact with the head
BULLDOGS
34 Aidan McGowan
2 Joe Burton
4 Joe Arundel
3 Ollie Greensmith
19 Jack Render
6 Ben White
37 Tyran Ott
8 Adam Gledhill
14 Brandon Moore
10 Luke Cooper
11 Dane Manning
12 Lucas Walshaw
17 Luke Blake
Subs (all used)
9 Alistair Leak
31 Noah High
35 Jack Billington
36 Emmanuel Waine
Tries: Waine (25), Render (70)
Goals: White 1/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6; 18-6, 24-6, 24-10, 30-10
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Vikings: Joe Edge; Bulldogs: Dane Manning
Penalty count: 3-4
Half-time: 12-6
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 2,632